Busan Chinese restaurant with free rice: Surabanjeom Gaya

From the end of work, I was seriously thinking about what to have for dinner. I asked Mom, “Chicken kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), or Chinese food?” and she said she wanted Chinese food. (Mom low-key loves Chinese food.) So I looked for somewhere with parking and brought her here.

We went to Surabanjeom Gaya Branch (수라반점 가야점), a good Chinese restaurant in Gaya-dong, and it was close to home so we got there in no time. Next time we want Chinese food, it would be perfect to order delivery. There really aren't many good Chinese places near our house that deliver haha.

Surabanjeom Gaya Branch location and parking support

Surabanjeom is behind Gaya, across from the 110-1 route terminus. It is perfect for stopping by before or after going to Baik Hospital. Best of all, it supports parking for 1 hour.

Park here! After eating, just ask for the parking receipt and they support 1 hour.

Surabanjeom is right next door too, so it takes less than a minute to walk there after parking. You do not have to leave your car keys; just take the slip and you're done. There is an attendant who records your entry time and takes care of it.

Surabanjeom on Gaya-dong's main road: hours

Surabanjeom Gaya Branch has a yellow sign and sits right on the main road. Easy to find. It is across from the 110-1 bus stop, so it stands out even more.

Hours are 11:00–21:00 from Tuesday through Sunday, with last orders at 20:00. It is regularly closed only on Mondays. They say good restaurants are closed on Mondays, and I guess that is true.

Unlimited rice and set-menu options

Inside, the tables are set up for an easy meal, but groups would work too. If you push tables together, about eight people could eat together. There is a bus stop opposite, and I felt like lots of bus and taxi drivers would be regulars here.

Rice is unlimited, and you can also help yourself to danmuji (yellow pickled radish), onions, and kimchi. I really think this is such a good point. Unlimited rice with prices these days! A bowl of rice costs ₩2,000 now, and some places charge you while giving barely any, but here it is unlimited.

They also have a review event~ It is not one of those events that only gives you a drink. I recommend joining before you eat. You get mentosha (fried shrimp toast) and dumplings. Mentosha is expensive when you buy it, so definitely take it.

From jajangmyeon to two-person sets

The menu is

There are rice dishes, individual dishes, and one- and two-person set menus! The sets have lots of variety, which was perfect. The basics include jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork), jjambbong, japchae bap, and fried rice; you can switch jajangmyeon or jjambbong for rice, and pay to switch other items too. The menu combination is just right haha. Seeing so many individual dishes too, it really feels like a genuinely good Gaya-dong Chinese restaurant haha.

While Mom and I were deciding what to eat on the way over, she told me to have jjambbong again. I am always on team jajang over jjambbong, and she always only wants jjambbong broth herself but tells me to order jjambbong. So I told her to get a rice dish with broth, and she chose japchae bap. She has diabetes but absolutely loves things that raise her blood sugar. Then she says japchae does not raise it that much, which is ridiculous.

The day we tried jajangmyeon, japchae bap, and glutinous rice tangsuyuk

The jajang came out first, and since it had just been cooked, it was glossy and looked so delicious.

Then the japchae bap and tangsuyuk followed, and the portions looked generous too.

I mixed it up enthusiastically, but wanted it a little spicier,

so I added red pepper flakes, and it was perfect.

I had the tangsuyuk with the salt it came with and dipped it in the sauce too, and it was seriously packed with meat. It really was glutinous rice tangsuyuk, but there was even more meat. It felt like ages since I had tangsuyuk with so much meat in it~

I ate the tangsuyuk with jajangmyeon, danmuji, and kimchi, and the kimchi was good too. I stole some japchae bap, and the japchae was soft and delicious~~ Mom seemed to like the japchae bap more than the jajangmyeon haha.

There were already lots of people before we ate, and by the time we finished there were even more. I think people come because the set-up is good and the food tastes good haha. Mom and I finished everything deliciously, then got in the car and went home, stomping our feet and saying how unbelievably full we were.

Next time, I should order delivery to the house.